Long Island Rail Road Third Track Receives Key Senate Approval

HR&A’s economic impact analysis played a key role in advancing this landmark outcome. Our study demonstrated the transformative potential of the third track on Long Island’s economy.

After decades of consideration, a $2 billion project to resolve a regional bottleneck in Long Island has finally received approval from the New York State Legislature. The 9.8-mile stretch between Floral Park and Hicksville will receive a much-needed third track—significantly reducing service disruptions and expanding capacity for reverse-commuting from New York City. Through a publicly-released report, HR&A demonstrated that the expansion would produce sizable economic benefits for Long Island.

Our analysis, with support from transportation planning and engineering firm WSP, provided a clearer picture of the economic benefits the project will produce. An expansion of this magnitude ‑ on a critical piece of our regional infrastructure – will have enormous impact on the region, far beyond time savings.

To understand the impact of the Long Island Rail Road Third Track Expansion project on the regional economy, we identified unique indicators and metrics to consider the multifaceted impact of the project.

By 2035, the Third Track will create

An expanded labor force available to Long Island businesses.

Productivity benefits from concentrated transit-oriented development in station areas

Time savings for riders due to more frequent and reliable commutes

Additional visitor spending on Long Island owing to more riders

Construction spending on investments in station and track infrastructure